Nebraska’s trip to East Lansing finally ended the way the Huskers wanted it to. After two straight three-point losses at Spartan Stadium, Matt Rhule’s team went into Michigan State and left with a 31-14 win on Saturday, Sept. 26, opening conference play in style.
The victory pushed Nebraska to 4-0 for the first time in 10 seasons and kept its perfect non-conference run intact for a third straight year. It also marked the Huskers’ first win in East Lansing since 2012. Four games into the 2026 season, Nebraska has now outscored opponents 80-25 in the fourth quarter.
The offense had to adjust after star freshman running back Jamal Rule went down with an injury at the end of the first quarter and headed back to the locker room. Even without him, Nebraska kept rolling. The Huskers put up 31 points and 369 yards, with senior quarterback Anthony Colandrea accounting for 212 passing yards and 66 rushing yards in the moments that mattered most.
Nebraska’s first touchdown came after an opening three-and-out, when Colandrea launched a 44-yard strike to junior wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer. From there, the backfield carried a heavier load. Mekhi Nelson handled the extra work and finished with 15 carries for 61 yards, including a fully extended four-yard touchdown run.
Vincent Gentone also delivered a key spark. The fifth-year running back finished with 17 all-purpose yards and found the end zone twice, once as a receiver and once on the ground.
Right before halftime, Dana Holgorsen went to Gentone on third-and-one, and he converted. On the next snap, Colandrea hit him in stride for a 13-yard touchdown with two seconds left in the half.
The defense was just as important in controlling the game. Rob Aurich’s group held Michigan State to 13 points and 257 yards, while piling up 10 tackles for loss, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and six sacks.
Owen Chambliss was around the ball all night, finishing with eight tackles and his first interception in a Husker uniform in the first quarter along the far sideline. Williams Nwaneri was credited with a sack after Alessio Milivojevic tripped on his own teammate, and later in the second quarter Nwaneri got to Cam Fancher for a sack 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
Donovan Jones added three tackles, a forced fumble and a recovery. In the final seven minutes, Andrew Marshall read Milivojevic’s throw perfectly and grabbed his first interception of the season.
For all the good Nebraska did, the flags still showed up too often. The Huskers were penalized seven times for 60 yards, including a pass interference call on Vincent Shavers Jr. on Michigan State’s opening drive.
Nebraska had six penalties for 55 yards in the first half, and one of them wiped out an eight-yard Isaiah Mozee run after Kwazi Gilmer was called for holding downfield. The Huskers cleaned things up after halftime, but Nwaneri was still flagged for an illegal substitution in the third quarter.
Nebraska finished the second half with just one penalty for five yards.
In Other News...
Nebraska Suddenly Faces A Dylan Raiola Twist Matt Rhule Didnt Hide
Dylan Raiolas name has suddenly come back into Nebraskas orbit in a way few around the program probably expected. During Oregons game against USC, starter Dante Moore went down with an injury and Raiola stepped in, then helped push the Ducks to a 41-27 win. For Nebraska, it adds another layer to a matchup that already carried plenty of interest, especially with Raiola having once been part of the Cornhuskers future before ending up in Eugene.
Matt Rhule didnt try to hide his regard for Raiola when the topic came up, and that only sharpens the intrigue around what comes next. Raiola has looked strong in his Oregon appearances, and there is a real possibility he could be the one lining up against Nebraska in the upcoming game. For the Huskers, it would turn a familiar name into a very different kind of problem, and one they may have to prepare for quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Rhule Just Shut Down One Nebraska Oregon Storyline
Matt Rhule pushed back on the chatter surrounding Dylan Raiola after the former Nebraska quarterback transferred to Oregon, making it clear there is no lingering issue between them. Rhule said he continues to support his former players and even praised Raiola for how he handled the job after stepping in for an injured Dante Moore, a reminder that the Nebraska-Oregon matchup has more than one storyline attached to it.
The timing makes the whole thing feel even more relevant, with Nebraska set to face Oregon and Raiola potentially in line to start if Moore is still recovering. For Husker fans, it adds another layer to a game that already had plenty of interest, but Rhules comments helped shut down the idea that this one needs to come with personal baggage attached. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska QB Commit Just Delivered One Of The Weeks Wildest Highlights
A busy week of high school football produced plenty of clips worth slowing down for, and Nebraskas quarterback commit was right in the middle of the conversation. The roundup also spotlighted several other highly rated prospects, including quarterbacks Trae Taylor and Chase Grove, running back David Gabriel Georges and wide receiver Dakota Guerrant, a reminder that the Huskers are tracking a deep group of playmakers as the fall schedule starts to heat up.
Among the biggest moments was a game-winning Hail Mary catch by Braylen Gibbs, the kind of finish that tends to travel fast across recruiting circles. For Nebraska fans, the headline grab from a future signal-caller is the obvious hook, but the larger takeaway is that the Cornhuskers continue to have a presence in a weekly showcase loaded with committed talent and late-game drama. [Read more 🡒]